Untitled
by Esherymack
Summary: Spur-of-the-moment idea. Based on manga vol. 206, so minor spoilers. Basically, Cross doesn't want to take care of Allen, but Mother talks him into going to retrieve something important to Allen. Rated for Cross's swearing.


A/N: Oh my, fluff time. I was sitting in bed, and this…came to me… because… y'know… I _might _have a thing for stuffed animals and toys. Just maybe.

…

Okay, so I was laying in bed with my stuffed fox, Florence (Named after Florence Welsh from Florence + The Machine) and this came to me. I admit it, I'm in high school and I still sleep with stuffed animals. I love 'em. Can't get enough of them, rather XD It's got slight Mama Cross, 'cause I know how much y'all like that, and it takes place right after Allen met Cross. We're assuming that Allen had met Mother before Cross brought him there in chapter 206 of the manga. Let's give it a go!~

Disclaimer: D. Gray-man belongs to Katsura Hoshino. I own the 'plot.' Okay, it's just an idea. No plot about it.

* * *

"Cross."

The redheaded General looked up at the wizened face of Mother. He was still sitting next to Allen, who'd finally fallen into a fitful sleep. The angry wound on the side of his face still reddened the skin around the bandages, and it stood out all the more due to the now stark white of the boy's hair.

"What."

The elderly woman shifted her hands on her cane. "You know, I think I know a way to get him to sleep much more soundly," she began.

Cross snorted. "Mother, what makes you think that he could sleep soundly in his current condition? He's heartbroken, his mind's frazzled…"

Mother knocked her cane into his shoe, giving him a glare. "Shut up and listen to me. If I seem to recall correctly, Mana Walker had given Allen something quite a long time back. In fact, it was just before Mana adopted Allen…. What was it…?"

Cross rolled his eyes. _Old bat'll never remember._

"Ah! I believe it was a toy, a stuffed bear, that Mana gave the boy. Kept him entertained for hours, and served as a nice pillow, as well. Do you recall seeing such a thing, where you found him?"

Cross mentally smacked his forehead. "What makes you think finding some toy will keep him alive?"

"It'll be something to remind Allen of Mana's love."

_Well. Can't argue with that._

"So, what do you want me to do?"

"Go find it."

"No. I'm not leaving _now._ That graveyard's too far away."

"I wasn't asking, Cross. Go do it, now, or I will wring your neck from the clothesline, exorcist or not."

"But—"

"No buts. Go on, get. I'll take care of the boy until you return."

Cross held up a hand. He was answered with a glare and with Mother's cane knocking him over the head. Grumbling, Cross stood, stretched his arms, and pulled his coat over his shoulders.

"You'd better not let the kid die, Mother."

* * *

Cross tripped over another partially destroyed gravestone.

"Ow! _Shit!" _he shouted, hearing his own words bounce off of the silence and come right back at him.

_Where even __**was **__the kid when I found him!_

Cross stood and glared at the crescent moon hanging above his head.

_Hey, Luna, you got any ideas for me?_

The moon remained silent.

_Yeah. Thought so._

Cross continued trudging his way up the hill.

"DiCallello… Morgan… Yeats…"

Cross realized that he was reading the names off of the tombstones aloud. He promptly shut up.

At the crest of the hill, there was a straggly looking tree. Right beneath it, there was a simple stone reading, in broad script, "MANA WALKER." There was a deep black crack shooting through the "WALKER" part, making it look like "WALER."

And, as Mother had supplied, there was a now-filthy looking children's toy right next to the grave, where Allen had presumably been seated for at least a day.

Cross nudged it with his foot. He almost expected it to be in worse condition, considering it had survived an Akuma, but rather, it was whole. Just, y'know, encrusted in dirt.

Cross picked it up. In the cold eye of the moon, it seemed almost… sad. The stuffed bear's glass eyes were black and reflected Cross's reflection, and they seemed to make the whole thing look cold.

Cross shook himself. A day with a child in his care, and he was already growing soft.

_Squishy like Tim. _

Nevertheless, Cross tucked it into his coat (_No way in __**hell**__am I letting anyone see me walking around with a stuffed bear_) and began his return journey. On his way down the hill, he tripped again.

"Ow! _Fuck!_"

* * *

The morning sun was peeking over the hills when Cross finally banged his fist on Mother's front door again. He'd been limping much of the night, nursing sore toes and bruised shins from the many gravestones he'd tripped on. The old woman opened the door, and glared at him. "Did you find it? If you didn't, I'm not allowing you back inside."

Cross glared in return and tugged the toy out of the pocket inside of his coat. "Here, mission accomplished."

Mother cocked an eyebrow. "Not quite yet. You can't just go and give that mess to a child. Clean it up first."

Cross sputtered, and Mother closed the door again.

* * *

When Cross knocked on the door for the _third _time, Mother answered, again, and eyed the sun-dried bear in Cross's hand. The General had a death glare in his one eye, and Mother chuckled. "Oh, because cleaning your apprentice's toy is going to kill you, Cross," she chortled.

Cross maintained his glare. It was one of his many skills.

Mother moved aside. "Come in, now. And give that to him. It'll help, trust me." Cross, on the other hand, was having trouble believing that Allen was still asleep after the time that had passed.

Nevertheless, Cross couldn't help but smile at how Allen became visibly calmer with the familiar item tucked into his arms.

* * *

A/N: Gah, it's horrible. I think

Tell me in the reviews how you felt XD I just wrote this on Word, so I came up with a lot of it as I went.


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